Inishowen urged to conserve water
12.05.20

WITH people adhering to
government advice and staying at home since
mid-March in response to the Covid-19 crisis, Irish
Water has confirmed that there has been a
significant increase in household water usage across
county Donegal.
New domestic metering data has revealed that
households are using an additional 24 litres of
water per person per day, a 20% increase from
February.
Non-domestic water usage has decreased with many
businesses, construction sites, schools, colleges,
gyms, hotels, bars and restaurants temporarily
closed. This reduction has helped to off-set some of
the domestic demand, however as domestic usage
represents two thirds of overall demand, the water
supply is still under pressure.

There are some simple
measures that the public can take including stopping
the use of powerwashers at home; using a watering
can rather than a hose in the garden; taking showers
over baths; and fixing any dripping taps where it is
possible to do so. There is advice and guidance for
homes, businesses and farms, including information
on how much water you can save with simple measures
on www.water.ie .
Speaking about the need to conserve water, Irish
Water’s Drinking Water Lead for Donegal, Kevin Love
said, “It is really important that everyone follows
the HSE guidance on handwashing, however there are
some ways to conserve water that will not impact on
hygiene. We are also conscious that we have had an
extremely dry spell so we are continually monitoring
our water sources for any signs of drought.
Currently we are closely monitoring the raw water
sources for Pettigo, Letterkenny, Lettermacward and
Lough Mourne which are depleting due to a lack of
rainfall and putting measures in place to minimise
any potential interruption to supply due to water
shortages."